10/26/2013

California Homeowner uses gun to stop home robbery, one of robbers charge in other robber's death

But the plan went awry and Joel Contreras, the former Earlville homeowner, greeted his intruders with a gun of his own. He shot and killed intruder Raymond Maldonado of Turlock, Calif.

And in the end, it was fellow intruder Marcus Samarripa who answered for Maldonado’s death. Samarripa never fired a shot — indeed, may have never even handled a firearm — but nonetheless was convicted of felony murder. Friday, he was sentenced to 27 years in prison.

“I’m really sorry for everything that happened,” a tearful Samarripa told his sentencing judge, “and I’m ready to embark on a journey for a better life.”Samarripa, 25, of Turlock, Calif., initially was charged with home invasion but prosecutors, after reviewing the case, decided he was the one culpable for his friend’s death. Whereas Contreras was defending his home and had lawful grounds for shooting Maldonado, Samarripa was committing a forcible offense and therefore bore responsibility for any death that followed. . . .